Archive for the ‘monmouth’ Tag

The enforced break is over and I’m back in action. Knee op went well and after a couple of weeks R&R I’m starting to head outdoors once more. A bike ride around the Forest of Dean and a short walk with TJS on a gloomy Friday evening proved I’m fit and able.

Time for some outdoor fun but there is more to life than boots and bikes. A long standing plan to kayak the river Wye having done many trips on French rivers. Having two cars makes this much easier and the Wye is very much the local. A route from Kerne Bridge via Symonds Yat and Monmouth to Redbrook was the plan

Its a fine a leisurely way to spend a day. A little too leisurely as it turns out

We passed by Welsh Bicknor YH and I rekindled memories of a stay there in my teens for a school history trip. We had to walk over the bridge in the photo below with all our stuff including food (which from memory consisted of many tins of beans). I was surprised to see the bridge in a very dangerous state and clearly closed. Its a very long walk in to the hostel at the moment

A little further on near Yat Rock we pulled up for lunch (and a Funster snooze)

Back on the river it began to dawn on me that it was quite a long way between Kerne Bridge and Redbrook. A very long way.

I’ve become used to the relatively swift flow of rivers like the Tarn and the Dordogne in France. The Wye is like a lake in comparison so rather than letting the river do the work, we had to paddle pretty much the whole way

Past the tourist haven of Symonds Yat and a short portage around the rapids. We should have just gone down on the water as they aren’t especially tough – a good deal easier than dragging a 3 person kayak 300 yards over slippery rocks

Onwards through the Wye gorge and under the bouncy bridge at the Biblins campsite

Its a very pretty stretch and very quiet. By this time however we were all feeling that we’d had enough of the river!

The stretch to Monmouth seemed to take an eternity but at least the crowds had gathered to cheer us through – well they might have been there for the rowing regatta but I’ll take whatever I can get

I was excited to pass under the bridge at Monmouth – seeing as I drive over a couple of times most days on my way to and from work.

Its a mightily impressive structure

At last we were on the home straight (after an involuntary dip trying to push the kayak over a shallow section)

Finally the bridge at Redbrook came into view and we were done

The pub on the opposite bank looked mighty tempting for a beer until I realised it was after 6pm and we’d been paddling for over 6 hours! Time to go home for tea 🙂

A long day, probably too long – lesson learned – but great fun and a surprisingly tough workout that my arms are only just recovering from.

Turns out it was almost 16 miles – hell of long way to paddle but easy on the knees at least

Most of my friends know that I’m not a huge fan of cycling. As a cheap means of transport when I was too poor to afford a car it did the job. As a means of outdoor fun it just never quite buried itself in my psyche like walking and the rest of my madcap outdoor pursuits. I do own a very dated mountain bike a very sad relic in an age of high-tech machines, but its a rare occasion when I take it out.

This could be changing however after a rather splendid little jaunt a couple of weeks back which I have to admit I rather enjoyed. When we were walking at Symonds Yat at couple of months back I noticed lots of cyclists on the south side on what must be an old disused railway line along the course of the river Wye. Perfect for the kids I thought so we hoisted all the bikes down there and gave it a shot

After a reluctant start from my youngest (trying to get past the crowds and the cars at Symonds Yat out her off a bit) and some lunch the kids really got into the swing of it and we picked up a decent pace all the way to Monmouth and back.

Only about 10 miles in total but seeing as L in particular has never cycled more than up and down our cul-de-sac before I was quite pleased at how well she coped. The weather was kind and stayed dry so it was a very pleasant and very different day out from the usual walks. The Forest of Dean nearby has loads of old disused railway lines from the coal mining days now used as cycleways so hopefully we can get a few more trips in before winter.

I actually quite like cycling – there, I said it. Just don’t expect any major cycling tours from me!

Video works better than photos so enjoy the little compilation with a tune to remind you that it’s still August and still technically summer…

Share this:

Like this:

So whats my Blog about?

I spend alot of my time surfing the web looking for ideas on places to go, walking routes, travel ideas and tips to plan the perfect holiday or day out. (I'm a project manager I like to plan). I thought it was time to share my own experiences and contribute to the vast amounts in information that's already out there.

I'll also add in some gear and tech reviews and when something irks me I may even use this forum to have a rant - I do that pretty well I'm told.There are a few pages at the top that give a bit of background to what I like to get up to and what you can expect to see in my posts. I'm not exactly a creative writer but I hope some people will find my stuff useful or inpsiring or at least enjoy some of my photos.

Enjoy!

Follow me by Email subscription

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Flickr Photos

Recent works by my favourite fellow bloggers

or... A tougher day than expectedOvernight our moor has been scrubbed clean and then hurled back inside an industrial washer for an extra rinse cycle. It's morning and we wake to air that brushes silently along flysheets, the kettle's steam slips across the porch to freedom. Everywhere is complete silence.THE FEE BURN THE MORNING AFTER A WILD NIGHT […]

Over the years I have ended up planning to climb Ben Klibreck during the dark end of Autumn. This has never been a very good tactic, as I end up sitting in the van on the road below thinking ‘Perhaps not today’. This is usually due to a big cap of cloud cloaking its summit […]

With high-tide generally falling around the middle of the day and therefore not much beach on offer at that time, we did a tiny bit more exploring than we sometimes do when we are on the Llyn, which is to say: some. We have once before been down to the end of the peninsula, but […]

Hi folks. If you've popped in on here wondering what's going on then please let me explain.This 'blogger' blog is now closed.I'm now blogging on WordPress atTERRY ABRAHAM LAKE DISTRICT VIDEOAll the content I've posted for the past few years can be found there too.Hope to speak with you again soon!Terry

New blog…new first post. Bad time for writer’s block then. Only kidding. Given that I’ve been running from blog to blog like a headless chicken for the past couple of years I thought that a new start with a post about heads rather appropriate. And what better heads to start with than our local Kelpies. […]

My first backpack of the year was the last weekend in March. I had been watching the weather forecast for this week and it looked like it was going to be a cracker. Beautiful spring weather but cold at night. … Continue reading →

The Baxter’s Loch Ness Marathon is held practically on my doorstep, so it would be rude to do others and not this! I ran it in 2014 on the back of 5 weeks off running with an injury, but with … Continue reading →

Over the last few weeks, my main focus has been on swimming. Mike and I have been regular visitors to Ross Back Sands to indulge in a spot of dipping in the briny. The problem was, for me, the fact that I never did much in the way of actually swimming. On our last visit I did manage to take to the water. However, getting caught in cross currents and finding […]

ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.A day out with Alan and his dog saw us take a trip to the central belt town of Falkirk. This wide surrounding area used to be famous for its iron-works, in particular, metal street furniture like storm drain covers, manholes, electricity and gas plates, or anything else sunk into t […]

When we had finished our walk to see the North Face of Ben Nevis we found we still had some daylight to spare to check out 'Steall Falls' which has been on my 'to do' list for a while.One tip for this walk - avoid busy times, and arrive early/late for parking - there isn't a huge amount and it would be a disappointment after a windin […]

I still don’t know if what happened was real or if a collective paranoia that hit both my friend and I on this trip. One thing is sure, this trip felt like a backwood horror movie. I don’t want to scare … Continue reading →

I moved up to LA county about a month ago before the big move back to Canada. Since I’m going to be here for a couple months, I figured I’d create a food bucket list and discover my favorite restaurants … Continue reading →

Along with autumn, spring and summer, winter is one of my favourite seasons. Of late in the WoW household we’ve been hunkered down, hatching plots and not getting out as much as we’d like. However, the opportunity arose and was swiftly taken to decamp to Islay for a short week (one up from a long … Continue reading →

(Photo courtesy of Ali Ogden) As most of you will know, I’m a big fan of umbrellas for backpacking. For the past few years I’ve been using a cheap M&S collapsible umbrella either hand held or strapped to my rucksack. If the weather isn’t too windy, it’s a great way to stay dry and comfortable. … Continue reading Snow Peak Ultralight Umbrella → […]

A book of Gaelic haiku poems to accompany my wild land photographs had been an idea ruminating in the depths of my own wild imagination for some time. Having taken the plunge and self published the Little Book of Gaiku I was amazed to be contacted by Scotland on Sunday newspaper for a half page spread on what was believed to be the first full volume of Gaeli […]

Lochnagar from Invercauld through Ballochbuie Forest and via the Prince’s Stone. Return around the back of the Stuic and the shoulder of Carn an t-Sagairt Beag. 17th January 2017 Lochnager from Keiloch Scottish Hills Lochnagar and the White Month

Well, this blog has run its course in this format for 5 whole years and before that another 3 as a mountain blog and it is time to draw down the shutters and say Adieu. Come say hello on Twitter @rightprofile or Facebook therightprofile it would be great to keep up with all the blogs I read. So it…Read more ADIEU

Fourth of July week was spent visiting family back in South Dakota. I had a great time seeing my parents, siblings (all 6 of us got together for my Dad's 80th birthday!), nieces, nephews, and aunt. (Not to mention both my kids got time off work and were able to come) But 10 days in a hot, dry prairie climate had me longing for the cool green forests […]

One of the benefits of moving to Taunton is that Dartmoor, previously far enough that visits needed to be overnight, is now near enough, not just for day trips, but to ‘pop to’ for a few hours. This has finally allowed me our 5-year old to join the Dartmoor Ranger Ralph Club, and on Wednesday […]

Montane Featherlite 23 Day Pack Review The Montane Featherlite 23 Day Pack, from outdoor retailer Nevisport, is the perfect piece of outdoor equipment if you are looking for a pack that is incredibly light, fully breathable, waterproof and durable. The Montane Featherlite 23 is a durably tough and extremely lightweight multi-activity day pack which can […] T […]

You know.. I can’t have kids and don’t want to have my own.. so we’re good there.. life and me we’re good there… we shook hands on it, gave each other a wink and laughed. : ) No need for pity… My art are my kids… every photograph (in front/behind the camera), every poem, every […]

We’re extremely lucky to live where we do. In as little as 3.4 miles from our front door, we can reach an idyllic little spot on the slopes of Kinder, for an easy night out. Of course if you wish, … Continue reading →

The weather forecast mentioned better weather the further east I go today, so it was Nottinghamshire rather than the Peak District I chose...even though Creswell, where I started the walk, is actually just inside Derbyshire. This was my second visit to Creswell Crags, the first time I walked along the road past the main pedestrian entrance and missed most of […]

Unfortunately I've not had the usage out of the old Kona that I'd hoped but I managed a little jaunt the other day. I didn't have much time so it was really a micro adventure but it's always good to get out for an overnighter even close to home. I left home in Helensburgh at 5pm so daylight was always going to be in short supply, a quick […]

In English: Holy smoke – Gathering of mobile Saunas. Part1. Can You imagine that there exist Saunas on wheels? Can You imagine that they meet every summer? I guess that nobody. Since 2005 in Teuva there has been organized mobile Sauna gathering. In 2016 they were cancelled. When You see my photos, You might say […]

Do you feel like you’re missing out on saving money because you never have the right coupon or store loyalty card on hand? A world of discounts is available to shoppers but accessing those discounts isn’t easy. Is the new … Continue reading →

Deze post in het Nederlands: Klik hier.This post is written with the intention to give a detailed account of a large number of wild orchids which can be found in the Cantabrian Mountains (Cordillera Cantabrica in Spanish) of northern Spain. To be more specific, those species that I've managed to photograph during the past year. Of many species I have pu […]